


Not Alone

by the_one_that_fell



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Missing 3.10 Scene, Missing Scene, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 04:49:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8149664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_one_that_fell/pseuds/the_one_that_fell
Summary: “Bits,” Shitty said, sounding more serious than Bitty had ever heard him. “Can we talk? Please? I’m worried about you.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little missing moment from 3.10, where Bitty said, "I'm sure Shitty'll rush up and check on me after they mop up that pie." Then it just turned into Shitty and Lardo being Very Concerned but not prying. 
> 
> (Also, just gonna state here that no one is outed. There's a line early on where Bitty thinks they have been but then he realizes they haven't. Just in case that line takes anyone by surprise. No outings, promise.)

After his call with Jack ended, Bitty tossed his phone aside and took several long, deep breaths. The stain on his shirt had almost certainly set by now, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. After the week he’d had, Bitty wanted nothing more than to pull on his pajamas and curl up in bed. He knew he had a paper to outline and several chapters to read for his seminar, but there was no way he’d be able to concentrate tonight. 

There was a soft rap on his door. “Bits? You okay in there?” 

Like clockwork, Shitty had come to check on him. For all his carelessness sometimes, Shitty had a fierce protective streak. Bitty had witnessed two years of it directed towards Jack and now experienced it for himself. In most cases, he’d want nothing more than to let Shitty snuggle him until his problems didn’t seem so bad, but tonight, in this case…

Shitty was Jack’s best friend in the entire world. Bitty so desperately wanted to tell Shitty about him and Jack, how stupidly happy they were. It hurt perhaps the most keeping this secret from Shitty.

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Bitty said a bit too brightly. “Just getting changed! Be down in a sec!” 

“Bits,” Shitty said, sounding more serious than Bitty had ever heard him. “Can we talk? Please? I’m worried about you.” 

It really had only been a matter of time before someone confronted him - more than Ransom’s captainly “we’re here if you need to talk.” Bitty sighed and shuffled across the roof to open the door, scrubbing at the tears drying on his cheeks. 

He must’ve looked a sight, puffy-eyed with pie all over his shirt. Shitty took one look at him and pushed him back into the room, herding him over to sit on the bed. “Bits,” he said, one hand resting on Bitty’s back. “Bits, what is going on with you? I didn’t even think you were physically capable of dropping a pie.” 

Bitty forced a laugh, awkward and nervous. “Oh, of course I am. Just slipped right out of my hands, these things happen, y’know…” 

“Bitty.” Shitty looked down, brows furrowed. “I heard you on the phone.” 

Bitty’s heart dropped into his stomach. Shitty must’ve seen the panicked look on his face because he immediately backtracked, holding up his hands in a consoling gesture. 

“I mean, I couldn’t hear what you were saying, but you sounded really upset, brah. And look, Bits, look at you,” Shitty said, sounding close to tears himself. “You’ve been crying up here all alone with pie on your shirt. Bitty, please, let us help you. Talk to me.” 

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” Bitty said, more forcefully than he intended. “Really, Shitty. It’s just been a long week and, you know, sometimes all it takes is a dropped pie to set you off. Just a silly little meltdown. I’ll get a full night’s sleep and be right as rain in the morning.” 

Shitty pursed his lips, unconvinced. “Except, from what everyone tells me, you haven’t been yourself all semester. Bitty, did something happen over the summer?” 

_ Yes _ , Bitty wanted to scream.  _ Yes, I started dating the most amazing boy in the world and I love him more than anything _ . “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Shitty, I’m  _ fine _ , just- Junior year is a lot more work than Sophomore year, now that I’ve declared. Just a little overwhelmed is all.” 

The rain outside pounded angrily against Bitty’s window, casting a blurry, blue light across the room. Shitty appraised him with searching, worried eyes. 

“Are you in some sort of trouble?” Shitty asked finally. “Is someone blackmailing you? Did you-  _ Bitty _ .  _ Did you come out to your parents _ ? If they’re abusing you, I swear to God, I will fly down to Georgia-”

“No, Shitty, I’m still very much in the closet,” Bitty said sharply. “Please, drop it? It’s nothing, I’m fine, y’all can stop worrying about me.” 

“No, we can’t,” said a voice from the doorway. Lardo stood in the hallway, arms crossed over her chest. “Bits, we’re your team, your  _ friends _ . We’re always going to worry about you.” 

Bitty looked down at his lap, a lump growing in his throat. Tentatively, Lardo crossed the room and settled down on his other side, resting her head on his shoulder. Shitty wrapped his arm around Bitty’s shoulder, and Bitty felt calmer sandwiched between two of his best friends. 

“It’s just been a long week, y’all,” Bitty whispered. “And I worked hard on that pie.” 

Lardo was quiet for a moment, taking Bitty’s hands in hers, the she asked in a no-nonsense sort of tone, “Is this because of what Nursey and Shitty were talking about?” 

On Bitty’s other side, Shitty tensed. “Oh-  _ fuck _ , Bits, did that upset you? Fuck, Bits, we didn’t mean it like- I mean, the sports world is  _ so _ homopho- I mean, you  _ know _ that- Fuck.” 

If Bitty wasn’t so upset he might’ve laughed. He bit the inside of his cheek as he willed back tears, then said, as calmly as he could, “I guess...it’s just...those sorts of rumors shouldn’t...that shouldn’t threaten Ja-  _ anyone’s _ career. It’s not fair.”

“Oh, Bitty,” Shitty said, pressing a kiss to his temple. “Shit, Bitty, I’m sorry, we didn’t realize it would be such a sore spot for you. We’re just...the hockey world just wants Jack to fuck up so bad, they’ll make up  _ anything _ about him-”

“You think I don’t know that?” Bitty snapped, pulling away from Shitty. “You think you’re his only friend? I know better than  _ anyone _ here what that kind of accusation could do to Jack. I know how hard he’s worked, how the sportscasters are just  _ waiting _ for an excuse to  _ destroy him _ . That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt! It hurts to see them treat Jack this way and it hurts to know exactly what the sports world thinks of people like me.” Bitty stood, yanking his hand from Lardo’s grasp. “But I’ve known  _ that _ my entire life.”

“Bitty,” Shitty said softly. “I’m sorry. I- we didn’t think- I’m sorry, Bits.” 

Bitty hung his head, anger dissipating. “It’s not your fault. The media goes after Jack so unfairly and he  _ is _ handling it well, you’re right. It just...it hurts a lot to pop the Samwell bubble, I guess.” 

And it did. He wasn’t lying - a small part of him ached every time he saw something that reminded him that people like him were not welcome in the world of professional sports, especially hockey. But what really hurt the most was knowing just how easily he could destroy Jack’s career before it even really started. 

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Lardo said, standing. “You’re going to change into your pajamas. Shitty’s going to run your shirt down to the basement to get it in the wash.  _ Then _ he’s going to bring up three cups of cocoa - not spiked, I’m serious, Shits - and we’re going to watch something happy on Netflix and snuggle the crap out of you. That sound good?” She looked to Bitty, face impassive. Bitty nodded, smiling a little. 

“Yeah...that sounds nice.”

“Good.” Lardo walked over and began to work at the buttons on his shirt. “Shitty, I swear to God, if you don’t know how to pretreat a stain, I’m disowning your rich ass.” 

“That’s what Google is for, Lards,” Shitty said, looking affronted. 

“Lardo, I can undress myself,” Bitty said, smacking her hands away. “Good Lord, buy a guy a drink first.” 

Lardo and Shitty both left as he pulled on his Zimmermann nightshirt and red shorts. Maybe it was a bit sad, wearing Jack’s number to sleep in, but he needed to feel close to Jack tonight. He crawled into his bed and pulled Señor Bunny to his chest. 

When Lardo returned, she had her laptop in hand. Wordlessly, she crawled into bed next to Bitty and pulled up Parks and Recreation on Netflix. Bitty smiled at her, pulling her closer. 

Shitty came back not long after, balancing three mugs of cocoa. He gave Bitty another apologetic look as he passed out the cups, and Bitty noticed he had the one with most marshmallows. Feeling warm and gooey inside from the actions of his friends, Bitty rested his head against Shitty’s shoulder and let Lardo click on one of her favorite episodes. 

Just as Ann and Leslie started fighting in the bathroom of the Snakehole lounge - drunk and reminding Bitty far too much of Dex and Nursey at a kegster - Bitty closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of cocoa and weed and Lardo’s paints. 

"Is he asleep?" Shitty whispered over his head. 

Before Bitty could respond, Lardo answered, "Yeah, I think so. Poor Bits, he's been so tired lately."

"Whatever's got you down, Bits," Shitty whispered, somewhere near the top of Bitty's head. "We got your back. We love you, Bits." 

Bitty smiled and was asleep before the episode ended. 

 

A while later, Bitty was roused from his fitful sleep by the buzzing of his phone. He was alone in bed, except for Señor Bunny, but the smell of cocoa still permeated the room. Groggily, Bitty grabbed his phone from where it must have fallen from his grip and checked it to see several texts from Jack.

_ Let me in? _

With a lump in his throat and a smile threatening at the corners of his mouth, Bitty raced from the room.

**Author's Note:**

> Just had to get this idea out of my head. I love seeing the team caring so much for Bitty, even if it kills me to see Bitty so sad.


End file.
